Drug of Choice
by semazani
Summary: Everyone has a drug of choice, the question is whether to partake or not. Callen is left to ponder this question.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes – Not mine, obviously. **

** So this was whirling around in my head. Not sure where it came from, but it seemed like it could work. Not really sure if it's a one-shot or I will continue it. I am working on my other story as well, so I guess we will see if anything else pops into mind for this one.**

** As always, comments are welcome. Let me know what you guys think…should I continue it or leave it alone.**

Looking from his vantage point, it's amazing he has made it this far. The whole thing about addictions is they just aren't able to be fixed. At least not fixed in the sense that they stay away or they don't require one to take some sort of action. That was the hardest part of this for him. The knowledge that he can't, rather he shouldn't, act on his addiction, yet knowing it will happen. In this case, the idea of sooner is coming much quicker than later.

He knows that everyone has an addiction to something. His teammates have their addictions as well. The big difference is their addictions aren't a threat to the job. Addictions like tea, coffee, sweets, or healthy living aren't going to stand in the way of doing their job effectively. It seems rather unfair that his addiction is one that can threaten the job. An addiction that can cause him take a momentary pause; one that could result in an ending he doesn't even want to fathom.

The last several weeks have been spent looking at the reasons; give in to this addiction and let it win or walk away from it and lock it away. There is no easy answer. He has had several opportunities to walk away, ignore it, but he just can't seem to do that. The need is so strong. It's like this has become his life blood; the reason he can keep moving. He guesses that the core definition of an addiction – something one thinks they cannot live without.

Is that even accurate? He can live without this addiction. It isn't like he didn't live all those years before without it. Sure, giving it up will be painful. It isn't like its life threatening though. He can will himself to take the necessary steps to rid his psyche of this addiction. He can make himself survive the pain. The physical pain really isn't the problem; that's old hat for him. It's the emotional pain and the psychological pain that he isn't so sure he can survive; he doesn't do emotion; never has really.

The idea of trying to exist without this just doesn't hold any appeal. While he is well aware the amount at stake for so many people, it doesn't seem to matter. The draw is so intense and the amount of pleasure that arises is just too much. Just the mere thought has his body reacting in ways that it never has; the partaking may well end him he thinks. It has all come down to this moment, this place, and his ability to make a decision once and for all.

Quietly sipping his beer, he leans back against the wall and watches. She's there – his addiction – laughing and joking with everyone. He has watched her become an integral part of their team and knows how everyone has come to rely on her. She, along with her partner, is the eyes and ears of this team; one of the two that leads them through places that would otherwise be unknown if not for their words.

It has become more and more difficult to keep things professional; at least for him it has. He has spent more time lately second guessing the times he has found himself talking to her because he has to wonder if he really needs to be in her physical presence. So many times he could have just texted, emailed, called, or even waited. Hell, lately it seems he always has an excuse to see her.

Then there's the touching. God, the simple graze of her thumb across his hand when she gives him paperwork sends lightening through his body. The instantaneous reaction from his body is phenomenal and downright scary if he is honest with himself. The fact that he is finding reasons to stand just a little closer or lean over her shoulder at the console confirms just how bad things have got for him. It's like he is trying to test just how close he can get without having a physical reaction to her.

All of this has him completely in awe. The fact that she can garner this strong of reaction from him without so much as an intentional touch is insane. That's where he figures this could end him. Her ability to get to him without even knowing she is affecting makes him wonder what would happen if she reciprocated. If she actually knew his thoughts and was thinking the same thing; could he survive that? Sure, it wouldn't end him in the literal sense. But, damn how would he survive the rush of electricity that would take him over if she actually touched him for real.

These team bonding nights have given him more time to watch her outside the confines of the Mission. He can see her relaxed and enjoying things. The amount of fun they all have on these nights is also one of the reasons he hesitates. If they ever got together, the impact would be felt everywhere. The team would know and it could jeopardize them. What if he hesitated on an op because he was worried about her? Could he separate his feelings and keep himself on track knowing she was listening and watching? Would it be possible to seduce a woman if he was involved with her?

Those are the big questions. What if's that could drive you crazy if you let them. He is the master of illusion though isn't he? The agent that could slip in and out of persona with just the flip of a switch; he could still do that, couldn't he? What effect would letting himself indulge in this addiction have on him? The crux of the addiction is the ability to stay intact while partaking in the fruits. Maybe, just maybe, he can handle it all.

Watching her on the dance floor has left him with no other conclusions. He sees the guys coming up to her and he feels his blood boil when they touch her arm. There is no way he wants anyone else touching her; not with intentions like the ones he sees in those men. The way they are looking at her makes him want to practice his hand-to-hand combat; on their faces. Moving swiftly past their table, he deposits his beer on the wooden slab and comes up behind her.

Reaching forward he uses the palm of his hand to remove the offending man from her personal space. He moves to face her as his hand circles around her waist. Looking her dead in the eyes, he cups her face with his free hand and leans in close enough to feel her breath on his lips. Wasting no more time, he captures her lips in a kiss that leaves no question as to what his intentions are. All the words that he has been unable to speak are placed into a kiss that leaves him momentarily unable to breathe.

Breaking the kiss, he looks at her once again. He smiles as he leans forward placing a kiss on her forehead, then he turns and walks out of the bar. He can only hope she understood what he was trying to tell her and that she is willing to embark on this journey with him. Time will tell.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes – Of course, not mine. Oh well, I can have fun with them anyway!**

** So everyone who reviewed seemed interested in seeing where this ends up. Here is Nell's perspective. There will obviously be more to the story. I do have to wonder how authors can write one-shots. I really tried to figure that out, but I can't seem to let the story end there (even without the encouragement to continue).**

** Here is my shameless plug for my other stories currently being worked on. I started a multi-chapter story for Nell and Callen called What Now that has several chapters to go still. I also posted another starter story tonight called Drop of a Hat. Please read and review these stories as well! **

What. The. Hell. That was the only thing going through her head at that moment. Did that seriously just happen? She takes a mental note of the amount of alcohol she consumed tonight and is well aware she isn't anywhere close to drunk. As far as she recalls, he hadn't really been drinking much either. At least not that she had noticed. It took a minute to compose herself enough to walk back to the table. The rest of the team was there in various states of inebriation; question was did anyone else see what just occurred. She sure has hell wasn't going to ask. That was for damn sure.

The fire behind that kiss was the most intense she has ever felt. It made her feel like a schoolgirl who just received her first kiss from that guy she'd liked for months. Except she had never once thought of him in that manner; not even a passing thought. Sure she had been taken aback by his good looks and easy charm, but that was no surprise. His eyes were amazing and they held more secrets than anyone could even imagine. But she had never considered him in the romantic sense.

That has all gone to the wayside though now. Now she is still reeling from the most amazing kiss she has ever received and it leaves her wishing she had been less shocked when he planted it on her. She touches her lips as tries to re-capture the all too brief moment. Had she missed something along the way? Did he drop hints that she failed to pick up on that would have indicated he was interested in her?

Thinking it through, she knows he doesn't operate like that. He would have simply asked her out, except he hadn't. Instead he had walked up to her in the middle of a public venue and kissed her for all to see; including the team. It didn't appear they had noticed, but who really knew with them. Master of disguises and all, they wouldn't necessarily reveal it to her if they didn't want her to know.

It occurs to her that everyone is finishing up with their drinks and paying their tabs. Her last several minutes in her own head made her miss that fact. Heading to their respective houses to sleep off a night of team bonding and looking forward to a day off tomorrow, the team filtered into various cabs waiting outside.

As she sat in the cab waiting for it to reach its destination, she was still trying to decipher the events. Seriously, out of the blue he kissed her. Who even does that? Obviously him, but why her? She had spoke to him several times during the evening and even tried to get him out on the dance floor with her. He talked easily enough with her, but declined to dance. She had been out there dancing a couple times and he didn't interrupt. Then BAM! There he was; him and his lips.

God, those lips. She was going to go insane if she kept thinking about the intensity of that kiss. You know the whole weak in the knees thing has never happened to her and the immediate desire to intensify the kiss came a second too late as he pulled away. Then he looked at her and smiled. Geez, his smile made her knees go even weaker. Before he left, the soft sweet kiss on her forehead that should have had a calming effect just made her swoon even more. She decides she is losing it.

The cab reaches her destination and she shakes her head as she pays the driver. Thanking him as she gets out of her seat, she makes her way down the sidewalk towards her apartment. She briefly considered going to his house and asking him what exactly that was all about. She changed her mind when it dawned on her she wasn't even able to process it, so asking for more information would have risked overload.

Walking into her apartment, she placed her keys on the table by the door and deposited her body onto the couch. Reaching down to remove her shoes, she hears her phone ring from her purse. Setting her shoes on the floor beside the couch, she retrieves her phone from her purse. Figuring it is probably Kensi checking to make sure she got home alright; she doesn't even check the name on the screen as she answers the call, "Hey, I got home fine. Thanks for checking."

She hears a chuckle that most definitely does not belong to Kensi and she quickly pulls the phone away from her ear to check the name. Holy Toledo! It's him! She is pretty sure her heart stopped beating in that second and the ability to breath evenly has apparently stopped becoming an involuntary action on her body's part. Willing herself to take a breath, she listens as he speaks.

"I just wanted to say good night. I really enjoyed seeing you tonight outside work. It's always fun to relax and enjoy a free evening together." Then he pauses. Damn, like she's going to be able to actually respond! This is ridiculous; she has never had an issue communicating and has always been rather forward. Why this is so different is beyond her. Just as she finds the ability to respond, he laughs softly before speaking again, "Anyway, sleep well. I look forward to talking to you tomorrow."

Then she realizes the call has ended. For the second time tonight, she is left with no clue what the hell just happened. Did he really just call to say goodnight to her? For the love of God, what is going on? Shaking her head, she is well aware that it will be impossible for her to get a hold on this situation until she has time to clear her head. Shower and bed it is; then deal with this tomorrow. At least, put it on the agenda to figure out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes – Yep, you guessed it… they are not mine.**

** I am so enjoying writing this piece. It's a nice change of pace from my other two stories. I figured it was about time for an update. I had been focusing so much on wrapping up one of my other stories, this one has been neglected. **

** Please read and review. I absolutely love getting feedback of any kind. This story definitely has room for wiggling. The basic outline is in my head and I am pretty sure the ending is complete. The middle is up for grabs to some extent though. **

** Hope you enjoy!**

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Apparently sleeping does not help clear the mind. At all. Nell wakes up just as gobsmacked as when she went to bed. Thinking back to the events of last night, she is blown away to discover her body is still reacting to that kiss. One kiss is all it has taken to completely throw her for the biggest loop ever. This is ridiculous. Something has got to give. Removing herself from bed, she moves throughout her apartment getting ready for work.

Caution got thrown out the window last night at a speed that he couldn't even register. That had not been on the agenda at all. He had made up his mind before going that he would just watch. Not touch. And certainly not kiss. It was his train of thought that led to his downfall. Combine that with seeing those men touch her and he said to hell with caution.

God, now he is completely hooked. There is no going back. The taste of her is now engrained his psyche and there is no way he can go through his life not having more. When he left last night, he purposely drove to her apartment and waited til he saw she was home. He wanted to make sure she was safe. At least that's what he told himself.

Then, before he knew it, he dialed her number. Where the hell his brain was when that decision was made he has no idea. Hearing her voice come over the line and mistake him for what he assumes would have been Kensi made him laugh. Just hearing her voice was all he needed to move forward. Bidding her goodnight seemed like the least he could do at that point.

When he first left her standing there on the dance floor, he had strategically positioned himself outside so he would be able to see what her reaction was to the kiss. Callen knew she was thrown for a loop, but she gave no indication that she was mad. If anything, it appeared he had rendered her speechless. Then the phone call confirmed his suspicion that Nell Jones was having trouble forming words.

Arriving at work before anyone else, Callen sets his plan in motion. It was just a matter of timing now. Having already rendered her speechless twice, he decides to continue on his quest to see how many times he can throw her off balance. He is very amused seeing her in that state.

Pulling into her parking spot at work, Nell finds herself checking out her reflection in the mirror. She shakes her head at the absurdity and laughs at herself as she steps out of her car. This is way too much like junior high. It's Callen. The man she has worked with for years. They joke, they banter, they argue, and they hang out. When did she turn into this girl who is worried what he's going to think when he sees her? Oh, that's right…after that kiss! That amazing kiss he planted on her in the middle of the dance floor. That's when everything changed.

She had decided on the drive to work that she was taking back control. He had shocked her twice in an incredibly short span of time, but she is determined it won't happen again. She plans on talking to him this morning and find out what exactly is on his mind. Obviously, he has feelings for her. At least, after that kiss, one would hope he does. Because if he can kiss with that much passion without having feelings for her, maybe she doesn't care how much he actually likes her as long as he kisses her that breathless any chance he gets.

Who's she kidding though? Where she had never allowed her mind to wander is now firmly planted front and center. Her and Callen; the two of them. Together. It's not that crazy. I mean at least they know who they really are. No need to lie to anyone about a persona that doesn't really exist.

Callen watches as Nell enters the Mission and notices she is clearly lost in her own thoughts. He decides to take this opportunity and capitalize on it. Maybe he can throw her off balance before she even has a chance to find what he left on her desk. Reaching into his pocket, he removes something.

Her thoughts are disrupted by the sound of his voice as she makes her way to the ops center. "Penny for your thoughts, Nell." Before she realizes what's happening she sees something flying in her direction. Nearly dropping her phone, she reacts automatically extending her hand to catch the object. Opening her hand, she sees a penny. Looking back at him, she sees him smile and swears there is a sparkle in those blue eyes she has never seen.

Narrowing her eyes as she realizes he has caught her off guard yet again, she opens her mouth to speak when Sam comes into the room passing her as he goes. "Morning Nell." He says more as a passing statement than anything else. He is clearly on a predetermined mission. "G. You actually showed. Thinking this date needs put down in the history books. I really figured you would blow me off…" Sam pauses before adding one last word, "again."

Callen gives Nell another smile and then turns his attention to his partner. Placing his hand over his heart, Callen feigns a trauma that no one would believe. "I'm hurt Sam. You think I would just make up some lame excuse to get out of reports. I have no idea why you would think something like that."

Looking his partner in the eyes, Sam lets out a laugh and places his hand on Callen's shoulder. "You're right, G. Where on earth would I have gotten an idea like that?" Keeping his hand on Callen's shoulder, he guides the smaller man towards the desks ensuring he is unable to escape at the last minute. Nell watches them as they start their paperwork and walks to the ops center trying to regain her bearings. Again.

Arriving in the ops center, she places her belongings on the floor by the desk and sits in her chair. Reaching to turn on her computer, she sees it; an envelope on her desk that was most definitely not there the night before. Picking it up, she opens it quickly as her curiosity peaks. Unfolding the sheet of paper inside, she reads the words carefully. _Any good at scavenger hunts?_

She instantly recognizes his handwriting and laughs at the question. Of course she is good at scavenger hunts. Seriously that should be a given in her line of work. He already knows that though. Intrigued, as she is sure he knew she would be, she moves out of her seat and out the doors of the ops center. Standing at the top of the balcony, she waits until he locks eyes with her. Holding the paper in the air, she shakes it as she smiles.

Seeing her appear on the balcony holding the note, he is happy to see her smiling. His plan is officially moving forward. Returning her smile he nods before turning his attention back to the paperwork on his desk.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes – They are not mine.**

** First, I want to apologize for taking so long to update this story! I promise I haven't forgotten about it. I was focusing on one of the other stories I am writing thinking it was nearly complete, but that turned out to be just a ruse. The story is still going strong! **

** Second, I want to thank my girlfriend for helping me with some of the details of this chapter. I really could not have got past my writer's block without you! Love and thanks! **

** Third, this chapter was a bear to write! I finally decided I was over-thinking it way too much and just plugged into my music letting my fingers just type without thinking. The other point I have noticed with this story is I don't have a main theme song of sorts to help me focus on what I want to the story to say. This has proven to be a huge issue for me. I have certain songs I listen to while writing the other stories and I have yet to find the right fit for this one…still working on that!**

** Finally, please read and review. Comments will be highly beneficial on this one. Any ideas you have, feel free to throw them in the mix. This story is very much still a blank slate and I am simply writing as I go. I know the ending, but that's pretty much it. **

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The morning is proving uneventful. The team catches up on paperwork in an attempt to kill time and the ops center has become a hub of tediously boring activities. Just when it seems it's going to be a slow day, Eric appears on the balcony summoning the team. Happy to be doing something, each member bounds quickly up the stairs. Going through the automatic doors, they take their usual position listening as Eric and Nell fill them in on the day ahead.

After assigning tasks for everyone, Callen notices Nell is deep in thought searching for more information to help their case progress. He walks up behind her, leans in close to her and whispers dangerously close to her ear. "Hope you are as good at scavenger hunts as you are other things." Catching her blush instantly, he gives a classic Callen smirk as he straightens up and heads towards the door.

Spinning her chair around quickly, Nell reacts before remembering Eric is in the room as well. Speaking entirely too loud in response as she watches his retreating frame. "Seriously!? Care to elaborate on that, Agent Callen?" She hears Callen laugh as he walks through the doors and down the stairs. Looking over Nell sees Eric giving her a confused look. He starts to speak, but stops when Nell turns back around quickly. "Don't even ask. Cause honestly, even if I wanted to answer you I couldn't." Eric nods slowly as he takes in the words she said and returns to his project.

Damnit! She really needs to get a grip. The ability he has to get under her skin is reaching epic proportions. This conversation needs to happen and soon. Nell is going to have to corner him at this pace because he certainly seems more interested in playing these mind games with her than actually talking to her. If she's honest with herself though, she is enjoying them. They leave her feeling exhilarated and that's something she realizes has been missing from her life. Maybe she just needs to focus on beating him at his own game. Play mind games with the great G. Callen and catch him off-guard; better yet throw him off guard.

The afternoon is spent in a whirlwind of activity as the team follows lead after lead that keeps them out of the Mission for the rest of the day. By the time they find their way back to the office, it's a well past dark and everyone is tired. Grabbing their belongings quickly from their desks, they each bid the others good night on their way out the door. Callen is the only one of the four left in the bullpen area. He looks up towards the ops center and wonders if Nell is still working.

Coming from the back of building, Nell spots Callen looking up towards the ops center as if contemplating whether to go up the stairs or not. Grinning widely she decides it's time to give him a taste of his own medicine. Walking up behind him silently, Nell lets her fingers lightly graze the left side of his neck as she walks past the right side of his body. Laughing to herself as Callen jumps at the touch and takes a quick look in the opposite direction she is walking; she silently pats herself on the back for a job well-done.

Taking a few steps towards the exit, Nell turns her body to face him as she continues to walk backwards. "Train get derailed, Agent Callen?" She laughs as he goes to speak and then closes his mouth just as quickly. Turning around and exiting without saying another word, she knows that got his attention. Hearing her laugh on her way out the door, he realizes she just played a card from his deck. He chuckles quietly at the revelation and moves towards the exit himself.

Depositing himself in his car, he feels a shudder run through his body as he thinks about the feel of her finger lightly grazing his neck. The replaying of that moment causes his mind to think back to the kiss. He can't remember feeling this good in a really long time and he is enjoying himself immensely. Recalling the feelings that surged through him when she relaxed into his lips makes him realize he really wants to take this to the next level.

His thoughts are once again disrupted, but this time by the sound of his phone alerting him to the receipt of a text message. The interruption causes him to realize his hands have unconsciously made their way to his lips while he was thinking about the kiss. Quickly pulling them away, he grabs his phone shaking his head. Intrigued when he sees it is from Nell, he pulls up the message; _Seems that may be all the elaboration I need… _

What? Was she watching him? Looking around he realizes he had completely missed the fact that she had not pulled out of the parking area yet. He catches her eyes for a brief second as she drives past his car leaving for the night. Damn. Now it was his turn to get caught off guard two times in quick succession. She's good. Really good.

Having spent part of the time he was on the stake-out with Sam contemplating the first set of clues for the scavenger hunt, he has come up with a few ideas. It's just a matter of getting the pieces collected and he is good to go. Stopping by a few local shops, he gathers the necessary items and grins happily as he makes his way home. First thing tomorrow, he can put his plan in motion and get this scavenger hunt moving.

Still not having responded to Nell's text, he decides to leave her comment untouched and issues the first challenge of many to come. _Scavenger Hunt starts tomorrow…feel free to let me know if you it's too much for you. These things can be challenging sometimes and it's alright to admit you are stuck! _After hitting send, he laughs thinking about what he knows her reaction is going to be when she receives it. Nell Jones does not admit defeat and she certainly doesn't back away from a challenge; both of which he knows without a shadow of a doubt.

Barely making it through the front door before the response arrives, Callen looks at his messages once again. _No way you can come up with something I can't figure out, so there will be no need for me to admit anything of that sort! _He knows she is right and he is going to have to be sure the hunt is challenging enough to keep her interested. It's a good thing he doesn't sleep much because that will give him plenty of time to plan things out. Pulling out his phone and sending one final text, Callen smiles as he moves to the bathroom for a nice, long shower.

Hearing her phone ding, she opens it up and smiles at the message she received from Callen. _Hope you sleep well tonight. See you bright and early._ Even though she knows he is probably still very much awake, Nell leaves the message alone and doesn't send a response. Sitting down on the couch with her take-out, she enjoys some catching up on some television before turning in for the night.

Waking up early to take a shower, Nell decides to head into work early hoping to catch up on some work before the day begins. They still have a lot of legwork to complete in order to solve their current case and she doesn't like starting out behind. Briefly considering stopping for a bite to eat, she opts to pick up some pastries for herself and the team instead. She highly doubts anyone else will be in yet, except maybe Hetty, and figures it will be a nice surprise.

Pulling into the parking lot, she sees it is still deserted as she makes her way to the entrance of the building. Opening the doors carefully juggling various bags as she tries not to drop anything, she moves swiftly towards the bullpen area. Setting everyone's favorites on their desks, she heads up to the ops center to get started.

Hearing the bustle of arriving employees, Nell has been hard at work for the last several hours. Eric arrives in the room and shakes his head when he realizes she has been working for quite some time. "Really? You are going to give me a bad name around here if you keep this up. How long have you been here?" She turns around giving him a big smile and shakes her head, "You don't wanna know." Pointing to his desk area, she lets him know the pastry is waiting for his consumption. He very happily retrieves it and moves downstairs to eat knowing Hetty will have his head if he dares eat in the ops center.

Walking past the team's desks, he sees the confusion on their faces as they try to determine who brought the goodies. Deeks shakes his head in Kensi's direction in response to her silent question. "Wasn't me, Kens." Looking over to Callen, he sees the man shake his head and hold his hands up in the air. "Nope." Continuing to walk by on his way to get a juice from the kitchen area, Eric offers an explanation as he passes. "Nell got them. She's been here for a good couple hours from what I can tell."

"She has got to be the sweetest person I have ever met." Deeks remarks between mouthfuls. "Of course she is Deeks, she brought you a treat. Easiest way to get you to roll over." The team laughs at Sam's remarks as the detective rolls his eyes. "Uh huh…keep talking, but it seems you guys are enjoying the _treats_ just as much as I am." Getting up from his desks, he continues speaking. "Coffee, anyone?," Seeing no takers, Deeks shrugs and walks away to retrieve one of many cups of coffee for the morning.

Callen catches Nell in his sights as she bounces down the stairs leading from the ops center. Smiling softly at the image, she catches his gaze and nods as she steps in front of the desks. "I hope you guys enjoy the pastries." She looks at each of them quickly before moving to the kitchen for a drink. Taking the opportunity while he has it, Callen moves quickly up the stairs to leave Nell the package he has put together. He is back downstairs and seated calmly at his desk before Nell and Eric make their way back upstairs.

Seeing the package before she reaches her desk, Nell feels a momentary rush of excitement. She sits down and quickly glances behind her to make sure Eric is occupied. Satisfied he is too busy to notice, she opens the box. Looking in and seeing a Chinese take-out container, she furrows her brow slightly confused. Opening the box she pulls out three items; a six-sided dice, a small red ticket that with the words main event stamped on it, and an apricot.

Thinking for a second, Nell concludes this is indeed going to take some work on her part. Setting the items back in the container for the time-being, she pulls out her phone to text before returning to her work. _Let the games begin!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note – None of the characters belong to me…just playing.**

** This story has been a welcome challenge…sometimes! I am working hard on trying to keep it light while giving the characters a more relaxed environment than my other stories have offered them. It turns out that fun and witty is easier to plan out in my head than it is to transfer onto the pages. **

** I apologize for such a long delay. Between writer's block and rewriting combined with a couple of sick kids, I have not been as focused as I should be. Thanks again to my amazing girlfriend for putting up with constant nagging to help me think of something grand for the storyline!**

** Let me know what you all think! Again, this story is not at all planned out as of yet with the exception of the final location. Read, review and offer up any suggestions or things you might want to see. **

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Submersing herself in work, Nell all but forgot about the scavenger hunt items left on her desk; until Eric located them. "What's this?" Looking up from backstopping yet another alias, Nell grins in response. Turning back around, she returns to her task without saying a word. "Not gonna share huh. Well, that's fine. I will just come up with my own ideas." Looking at the items, he ponders for a moment before speaking.

"Let's see. A six-sided dice, an apricot, and a ticket. The dice could be for gambling or games. The ticket maybe gets you in to somewhere. The apricot…in case you get hungry?" Nell laughs as Eric continues to babble for a good five minutes going through a laundry list of various meanings behind the collection. "Are these some sort of clues for something?"

Sighing loudly, Nell realizes he won't give up unless she says something. Turning around in her chair, she grins and replies. "Yes, Eric. They are clues for a scavenger hunt." Seeing his grin widen, Nell stops his thought process. "And no you cannot help." Hearing the automatic doors come open unexpectedly, Nell turns when she hears Callen's voice.

"Can't help with what?" A very excited Eric provides the answer as Callen keeps his eyes trained solely on Nell. "Nell is doing a scavenger hunt! She has a box of clues that she has to figure out in order to get the next one!" Smirking at Nell, Callen tips his head in amusement as he plays along with a clueless Eric. "A scavenger hunt, huh. Sounds like fun. How's it going?"

Returning his smile, Nell answers him just as Sam appears in the ops center. "I haven't really had time to work on it yet." Seeing Sam's confused look, Callen fills in the blanks. "Nell's doing a scavenger hunt." Sam nods his head glad he hadn't missed anything pertaining to the case, while Nell finishes her thought. "But I am sure I will be up to the challenge and I look forward to seeing where it leads." She locks eyes with Callen for a brief moment before facing the big screen and updating the two men on the latest.

The rest of the day is spent in another blur of activity culminating with the conclusion of the case. Having finished up their work in the ops center, Nell and Eric come downstairs just in time to see Kensi, Deeks, and Sam all walking in talking animatedly amongst each other. Giving it a second, Nell looks at the others. "Where's Callen?" Before anyone has a chance to respond, his voice illuminates the virtually empty room. "I'm right here. And I would like an answer as to why it is that I still get to be on the receiving end of your so-called easy hits." He has the faintest hint of a bruise along his cheek.

Sam takes the opportunity to banter with his partner, "Cause that's the way it always goes. Someone has to keep you in shape. You're getting old. We wouldn't want you to get hurt out there." Taking a quick glance in Deeks' direction, he adds. "Besides, do you really want to be in the same category as him?" Feigning irritation, Deeks pipes up adding to the conversation. "Hey. I was just playing the part, man! I told you that." Giving a look to Deeks, Sam nods his head. "Yea, sure. Keep telling yourself that man."

The group breaks out in easy laughter throwing a few more barbs out at each other, and then everyone falls silent. Speaking up, Deeks suggests dinner. Taking a look around everyone seems to be in agreeance. Kensi suggests a new steak restaurant that opened the week before and they all get up to leave. Taking their own cars, the team meets up at the restaurant.

They enjoy one of the few decent meals they have had after the chaos of the last couple days. They bid each other goodbye in the parking lot at the conclusion of the meal. As she pulls up in front of her apartment, Nell is happy there is only one more day to go before the weekend. Generally speaking they have time off on the weekends and she is hoping nothing comes up with work that pulls them into the Mission. Getting out of her car, she opens the back door and retrieves the package containing the scavenger hunt pieces.

Going into her apartment, she tosses her keys on the stand next to her door and walks over to the table in her dining room. Removing all the items from the package, she stands for just a moment looking at them. Laughing softly to herself, she shakes her head and moves to the bathroom to take a shower. She had every intention of working on the scavenger hunt after work, but decides to call it a night and get a good night's sleep while she can.

After finishing her shower, she moves from the bathroom into her bedroom. Peering into the hallway, she notices a light in the front of the house she was certain she turned off. Debating her next move, she decides to grab her service weapon just in case. Holding her arm straight down to the ground at her side, she moves quietly through her apartment. Looking around, she sees nothing out of the ordinary. Turning towards the dining room table, she notices a folded card standing on its end.

Making one more pass through her house and ensuring all exits are securely locked; she goes back to the table and retrieves the card. She briefly considers calling one of the team, but doesn't want to seem paranoid. Lifting the card from the table, she shakes her head and lets out a sigh of relief as she recognizes the handwriting. The fact that Callen got into her apartment unnoticed shouldn't surprise her, but it did unnerve her slightly since she was completely oblivious to his walking freely around her place. Reading the card, she laughs when she realizes it goes along with the scavenger hunt.

_Just a head's up.…I know you don't need or want hints, but I figured the least I could do was give you all the information up front. Not all the items in this package or the packages to come will be used for the current hunt. Each package will have one item that, when combined with the others, will reveal the final destination! Just have to figure out which one doesn't belong!_

She shakes her head. Setting the card back on the table, she moves back into her bedroom and settles in for the night. Lying in her bed, she comes up with an idea of her own. She gets out of bed and searches her place for a small box or container. Finding something suitable, she places one lone item into the box along with a note and chuckles as she sets it by her keys. Heading to bed once again, Nell falls asleep thinking about what Callen's face will be when he sees the package she has for him.

Nell wakes up earlier than usual to ensure she arrives before Callen gets in for the day. She hasn't had much time to work on the scavenger hunt and is looking forward to focusing on the clues over the weekend. Walking into the Mission, she heads straight for Callen's desk and sets the package directly in the center. Nell moves upstairs and gets the ops center ready for the day.

Catching up on some overdue paperwork, she hears Eric's footsteps entering ops. She knows it's him because of the early hour. The rest of the team won't be arriving for another hour. Turning around to greet her partner, she smiles when she sees the tired expression he offers her. "Long night?" She was pretty sure he went home after dinner, but he sure doesn't appear to have gotten much sleep.

Locking eyes with Nell, Eric shakes his head. "You really don't want to know. Let's just say that late-night visits from neighbors are not all they're cracked up to be. Last night confirmed why I stay holed up and don't socialize with them." He visibly shutters as the night apparently replays in his head. "Seriously gonna have to install some cameras in the hallways so I know when I should ignore the door."

Laughing at his misery, she earns a look of irritation from the technical analyst. "Sure, go ahead. Laugh at me. Cause my night wasn't bad enough." She puts her hands in the air as she attempts to stifle another laugh. "How's your scavenger hunt going? Have you figured anything out yet?"

Latching onto the change in topic, she shakes her head. "I haven't had a chance to work on it yet. I am hoping for an easy day and the weekend intact so I can figure it out." The two work in comfortable silence for the next half hour or so when Nell hears the bantering of Sam and Callen enter the bullpen area. Quickly moving from her seat to the balcony area, she watches as he approaches his desk.

Walking over to his desk laughing at a comment made by Sam, Callen stops when he notices the small box. Looking at the small box with a small pink ribbon wrapped around it. "You got a secret admirer or something G." Sam sits in his chair and gives Callen a smirk as the smaller man simply shrugs. Nodding his head towards the package, Sam indicates he should stop waiting and open the box. "C'mon man. Inquiring minds want to know."

From around the corner, a new voice joins the conversation. "Want to know what?" Sam turns towards the voice and answers. "G has a secret admirer." He nods his head in the direction of Callen's desk. Deeks locks eyes with Kensi for a brief second before he looks over at Callen and smirks as he goes to open his mouth. "Not a word out of you." Callen gives him the look before allowing a slight grin to break through. He is well aware they are all just having a good time at his expense.

Nell watches from her position at the balcony and smiles at the conversation. Callen sits at his desk and pulls the ribbon off the package. Opening the lid of the box, he peers inside not entirely sure what he will find. He is equally unsure as to whether he wants to whole team to see the contents. Nell tries not to laugh as she sees a look of confusion fall over his features.

"What is it Callen." Kensi has now joined the conversation completely intrigued by his obvious confusion. Not sure what else to think, Callen lifts the item out of the box and holds it up as he looks at it. The team all look amongst each other before one voice pipes up breaking the momentary silence. "Woah…really hope that is part of a private joke that we probably don't want to know the details of. At least none of them." Deeks gestures to the rest of the team. Looking back at their team leader, he continues, "Cause I am thinking I am definitely interested in knowing the reason." The rest of team looks over at Deeks hoping he is right about Callen knowing the meaning behind the object because the alternative has ramifications that none of them are interested in exploring.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note – None of the characters from NCIS: LA are mine.**

** I thought I would get this chapter out a little sooner; mainly because I feel really bad for the two week break between the last two. That was not intentional at all. I am still having fun with this and am beginning to feel more comfortable with the flow! **

** Again, please read and review! This story has lots of room for suggestions and ideas, so feel free to put them out there. **

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A barrage of questions comes from the team, but Callen ignores all of them and reaches for the note inside the box. As he pulls the note out, Nell appears in front of the desks and interrupts the group. She tries her best to sound innocent as she speaks. "What's going on guys?" Deeks points to Callen. He's got a secret admirer who has seems to have an interesting sense of humor."

"Oh yea. What did they send you Callen?" Having already started reading the note and recognizing the handwriting, he holds a single bullet into the air for her to see. She notices the grin widen on his face as he makes eye contact with her and just as quickly looks around at the team addressing their curiosity. "For once Deeks is right. Just an inside joke."

Deeks raises his hand like a student in some classroom setting, but his words are cut-off by Callen's. "And no, I won't be sharing the details." Pulling Deeks by the arm, Kensi insists they go to the gym for an impromptu sparing session. Despite the protests, Deeks follows her down the hall. Callen laughs at the interaction knowing Kensi is trying to remove him from the area to avoid any more questions being asked; at least questions addressed to Callen. He is pretty sure they will be talking the rest of the morning amongst each other about what happened.

Sam excuses himself to check in with Hetty for the morning which leaves just Nell and Callen in the bullpen. Opening the note once again, he reads it aloud. _You do realize I know what to do with one of these, correct?"_ Looking at her with a smirk, he waits for a response. She locks eyes with him as she walks towards his desk. Leaning forward so her face is mere inches from his, she speaks in a low voice. "I thought you might need to be reminded of that fact before you break into my house again, Agent Callen. Just in case."

Standing up straight, she turns and disappears up the stairs just as Sam returns to the area. "So what gives, G. What kind of private joke involves around a bullet?" Callen just smiles and says, "Not going there partner. At least not today." Excusing himself, Sam watches Callen go down the hall and shakes his head. Sam knows how close he keeps things to his vest, but he has to say there has been a subtle change in the man lately. He seems a lot more amused the last few days and a lot less aloof.

The day proves to be everything Nell had hoped for with no new cases come in. It gives the team a chance to finish up all overdue paperwork. As Callen is sitting at his desk trying to kill time, Hetty appears out of nowhere and gives him permission to let everyone leave an hour early. Heading to firing range, Callen lets Deeks and Kensi know they are free to go. Packing up their weapons, they move quickly through the bullpen. Kensi grabs her bag and bids Deeks goodnight as he heads up to ops to see if Eric wants to catch some early waves with him.

Callen heads to the gym next to let Sam know the day is over. Looking pointedly at his partner, he sees Callen shift slightly under his gaze. Callen offers a smirk and then turns to leave the gym. On his way out the door, Callen hears him yell. "You're gonna have to talk about it sooner or later, G!" Sam grabs a towel and heads back into the locker room laughing.

Looking up towards the ops center, he takes a moment before moving up the stairwell. Walking through the automatic doors, he notices Eric is not in the room. Looking at Nell, he smiles for a moment before coming up behind her. "Anyone ever tell you that you work entirely too hard? You should pick up a hobby or something." Her fingers freeze on the keyboard as her brain registers his words. He takes a step back and watches as she turns her chair around to face him.

Smiling from her seat, she contemplates for a moment before speaking. "You think I need to get a hobby or something, is that right Callen?" Nell places a finger against her lips and taps slowly as if to contemplate the statement, then she stands up and closes the distance between them. Stopping directly in front of him, she runs her hand lightly across his chest as she speaks. "Wouldn't you like to know how I occupy my time outside work." She locks eyes with him just before she removes her hand and walks out of the ops center leaving Callen speechless.

Grinning the entire way down the stairs, she gives is very impressed with her newfound ability to render him unable to respond. Getting into her car and pulling out of the parking area, she is still amused thinking back to the look on his face. By the time he recovers, Callen knows it's too late to catch her and laughs at the turn of events. It seems she is rendering him speechless much more often than he is her. That's going to have to change soon.

Packing his belongings, he moves out of the building and drives home. Pulling into his driveway, he goes through his front door and drops his bag by the door. Looking around his nearly empty house as he goes into the kitchen, he opens the fridge to find nothing that could constitute a meal inside the doors. Callen looks at his watch and momentarily wishes that he had opted out of an early workday as he realizes there is nothing at home for him.

Retrieving his keys from his pocket he gets back into his car and finds himself driving in no direction in particular. He decides to stop at a small diner. He finds a corner in which he has full view of the place and settles back in the booth for a meal. His mind wanders to the last few minutes in the ops center before Nell left for the night. Callen realizes that, even having never actually taken her out for a date, this little game he is playing has made his attraction grow even deeper. He shakes his head questioning how that is even possible.

Nell arrives at her apartment and is still quite pleased for throwing Callen off his game once again. The more she sees his reactions to her teasing, the more she lets herself believe there could actually be something between them. She drops her keys on the stand by the door once again and moves to the dining room table. Nell looks at the objects for just a moment, and then goes into the kitchen to fix a quick meal. She is anxious to start working on the scavenger hunt.

Sitting at the table with her food, she mulls over the possibilities; including the ones Eric had brought up during his running commentary. She quickly determines it is something food related; Chinese food to be exact. That would be the reason for the take out box. She goes over to the drawer by the dishwasher and retrieves a notepad. Grabbing a pen on her way back to the table, Nell sits in front of the items once again.

Jotting down her thoughts as she goes, she quickly narrows the possibilities. Looking at the six-sided dice, Nell eliminates the gambling angle because she knows neither one of them are big into cards or gambling. Since this scavenger hunt is a solitary task, she eliminates the possibility that it is related to a board game or skill game that requires multiple players. After marking off several other ideas, she sighs as she sets the dice down for a chance to consider the ticket.

Looking at both sides of the ticket, she only sees the words main event stamped across the front. Nell does notice the words are written in different sizes and fonts. A ticket for an actual event would have had the stamp in block letters with no difference in the lettering. Checking the possibility of a specific event off her list of ideas, she looks a bit more closely at the item. The word main is written in bigger, more noticeable letters that are slanted to the left.

Drumming her fingers on the table, she thinks for a few minutes on the reasons for the distinction. Grinning slightly, she moves into the living room and gets her laptop. Pulling up a search box, she checks for locations of Chinese restaurants in the area. Her grin widens considerably as she sees a familiar pairing. Grabbing her sweater and keys, she runs out the door and pulls out of her apartment building parking area.

Arriving at the intersection of Sixth and Main, she chuckles to herself as she sees a Chinese restaurant on the corner. Parking her car along the street, she waits for the light to turn green before crossing. Looking at the outside doors of the restaurant, she sees nothing that gives her any idea what the next step is supposed to be. Shrugging her shoulders, she goes inside and looks around. Glancing at the menu, she doesn't notice anything that stands out. She briefly thinks back to the items and remembers the apricot, but quickly dismisses the item after remembering Callen's note.

She looks around the restaurant and finds a bulletin board. Moving over to the board, she finds nothing that fits into the scavenger hunt either. Nell momentarily thinks maybe she was wrong until she spots a sign over by the cash register. Reading it she laughs again. Walking over to the register, she waits for someone to come help her.

When the man arrives, Nell considers how crazy she is going to sound trying to explain the hunt. Figuring it won't be the first time he has probably heard something crazy, she speaks. "Hi. I noticed your sign that says you make custom fortune cookies. I was wondering what the process is with getting one made." The man regards her for second as if he is trying to figure out who she is. "It is quite simple. Just place an order and then pick it up later in the day. Are you interested in ordering?"

She shakes her head and shifts slightly uncomfortably. "No. Ok, this may sound a little weird. I am taking part in a scavenger hunt and the clues led me here. I'm not really sure what the next step is though." Seeing the man's reaction, she takes an intake of air and turns to leave feeling like she has made a mistake. "You know what. Nevermind. Sorry to have bothered you."

As she goes to walk away, the man speaks again. "I have something for you. A man left instructions that a young woman taking part in a scavenger hunt would be arriving this weekend to retrieve a custom fortune cookie. I will assume that you are the young woman in question. It's not every day we get people taking part in scavenger hunts around here."

She turns to face the merchant once again. Retracing her steps to the man, she smiles as he holds out a fortune cookie for her to take. "Thank you." As she leaves the store, Nell is feeling pretty proud of herself. It really wasn't hard at all to solve the clues for the first step of the hunt. She suspects they will get harder as the scavenger hunt progresses. Getting into her car, she pulls out her phone and sends a quick text to Callen. She smiles to herself as she waits for his reply.

Having finished his meal and returning to his house, Callen hears his phone beep indicating an incoming text. Setting aside his language tape, he picks the phone up from its location on the counter and opens the message. _Clever Callen, but not clever enough…you will have to do much better in the next round because this one only took me about an hour to crack!_

Pausing for just a minute, he wonders what he got himself into if it only took an hour to figure out the clues and read what was in the fortune cookie. Furrowing his brow, he sends a question to her via text.

Hearing the ding of her phone, her smile fades momentarily as she reads his reply. _Have you opened the fortune cookie yet?_ Looking at the unopened cookie on her passenger seat, she mentally kicks herself. Of course the cookie would have more information in it. Retrieving the cookie, she cracks it open and reads the text.

Receiving yet another text, Callen opens his phone and literally laughs out loud. _Seriously Callen!_ He is very amused that she hadn't even considered the cookie would hold more information. Reading the message again, he leans back against the counter and sends a reply.

Hearing her phone, Nell looks up from studying the fortune and shakes her head. _You seriously thought that all you had to do was get a fortune cookie? C'mon, Nell. I thought you enjoyed a challenge!_ Knowing he got her on that point, she looks at the fortune once again.

Knowing her brain is not interested in working that hard tonight; Nell sends a final text to Callen and decides to save the decoding for the morning. _Definitely enjoy a challenge! Have a good night and get some sleep. This requires you to put your language tapes up!_ She figures it's a good bet that he is studying his tapes and wishes she were there to see his reaction when he gets her text.

He opens that text when it comes through and chokes on the water he just took a sip of when he reads it. Laughing to himself, he sends his own final text. _Not nice, Nell. You have cameras in my house or something? You have a good night as well! _

Settling onto her couch, she takes one final look at the fortune before picking up the book she has been trying to finish for weeks. This one is going to take a little more research to figure out the decryption code and she just wants to relax for now.

_Sic pczu obdfekb ht ho dtqs mpehbu_

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** OK! So who is good with decryptions!? Feel free to put your guesses in the review area. Let's see who can get it without using an online decryption program. Feel free to research codes and ciphers if you want, but see what you can come up with on your own!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Notes – Not mine…**

** Here we go again! Not much action of sorts in this chapter, but gives a nice dynamic for a couple of the characters. At least I think it does. Hope you all enjoy! **

**Thanks to everyone who has listed this as a favorite, commented, or set this story to follow. I am enjoying writing a more relaxed version of Callen and Nell. My other story, What Now, has them on a pretty intense emotional roller coaster and this story gives me a chance to at least let them have a bit of fun!**

** Please read and review! **

Opening his eyes, Callen glances at his watch checking the time. Satisfied with having slept for a four hour stretch, he moves to the bathroom to get a quick shower. Getting dressed, he moves quietly through his house contemplating what he should do for the weekend. He almost hates having two whole days off sometimes. He dislike this time off for reasons that are completely different than the usual ones. He knows he won't get to see Nell at all for two days and that is enough to make him almost change his mind about his plan.

Callen's mind is set on waiting until the scavenger hunt has run its course before exploring this relationship with Nell. He is enjoying the easy banter and finds himself really enjoying the flirty side of her. It's not one that he has seen before and her uncanny ability to know when to tease him at just the right time amazes him. He decides it's about time he gets some food in the house, so he opts to make a grocery run. At least that will distract him for a short time.

Nell has been awake for at least an hour lying in bed. She is still reading the book from last night and has decided to stay put until she finally finishes it. Her focus is disrupted by the sound of her stomach and she figures it would be a better idea to get some breakfast. Climbing out of bed, she moves into her kitchen. Grabbing the supplies, she fixes herself a quick bite of food.

Sitting down at the table, she sees the fortune and studies it while she is eating. She doesn't recognize the cipher immediately and knows she will have to do some research to get the right decryption code. It would be easy enough to put the cipher into a program on her computer, but that feels like cheating to her and she wants the satisfaction of solving it on her own. She figures it's only Saturday, so that gives her two whole days to find the right combination.

Finishing her breakfast, she sets the dirty items into the sink figuring she will come back to them later. She retrieves her laptop from her bag along with a notepad and pencil. Sitting down on her couch, she begins to research ciphers and codes. She does have some knowledge of them, but since she usually puts them through a computer program it's going to be a trial and error to find the right solution. She makes columns on her paper so she can organize the different kinds of codes and the trick to solving them.

She wants to break this code with her own sweat and determination. She highly doubts the code is going to be a difficult one or have too many twists, if any. It's not because she doubts Callen's abilities to come up with a challenge. It's because this is supposed to be a fun scavenger hunt and she knows he wouldn't want to frustrate her too much through the process. Settling back against the couch, she gets to work researching.

Callen leaves the grocery store and arrives back home in short order. After putting away the food, he back to square one. He has no idea what to do and doesn't want to fall back on the same old routine for his days off. Those days are spent holed up in his house practicing his languages or dismantling and reassembling items around his house. As he moves to sit down in his living room, his cell phone rings. Looking at the screen he laughs at the timing.

"Hey, Sam. What's up?" Callen secretly hopes the call is work related just so he doesn't have to find things to fill his time; not to mention it would be an excuse to see Nell sooner rather than later. Listening to his friend on the other end, he agrees to meet him at a local coffee shop where they can "catch up" as Sam put it. Callen is well aware this is more of a fishing expedition so Sam can find out what exactly is going on with him.

It only takes him twenty minutes to reach his destination and he looks around to see whether his partner has arrived. As he walks into the shop, Sam calls out to him from a back corner of the establishment. Joining Sam at the table, he orders a drink as he settles back into his chair and stares at the man in front of him. "So, that's how it's gonna be G? You know very well why I wanted to meet with you."

Callen gives a smirk as he watches his partner fold his arms across his chest. "I'm hurt, Sam. I thought you just wanted to catch up. Isn't that what you said on the phone?" He figures it will be fun to play with him a bit as he decides just how much he is willing to share. Sam shakes his head and leans forward placing his elbows on the table as he addresses Callen.

"Definitely what I said on the phone. So, let's start catching up." Callen smiles for a brief second before giving Sam his best impression of a confused expression. Sam shakes his head as he realizes Callen is going to drag this out as long as he can while offering nothing substantial. Leaning back into his seat, Sam offers his version.

"Ok. We can play it that way. Here's what I know. You receive a mysterious package on your desk the day after a certain young analyst starts a scavenger hunt. The contents of your package aren't nearly as interesting as the fact that the same analyst appeared in front of your desk as you reveal the contents of said package. You do realize I am trained to pick up on the subtle stuff, right G?"

Callen just smiles in response to his partner's observations and motions for him to continue with his revelations. "So we have two members of the team who appear to be participating in a scavenger hunt." Sam leans forward and locks eyes with his partner. He waits until his partner picks up his cup to take a drink of the contents before revealing the last piece of information he knows, "The same two members who shared a not so innocent kiss in a public venue not so long ago."

Callen chokes on his drink as Sam sits back smiling as he turns the table on the smaller man. Grabbing a napkin to clean up the mess on his shirt as well as the table, he looks at his partner who appears very proud of himself at the moment. "Kiss?" After receiving the do-I-really-have-to-give-further-proof look from Sam, Callen concedes. "Yes, the scavenger hunt Nell is doing was created by me. I am leaving clues in various locations to lead to a final destination."

Sam looks at his partner and shakes his head. "When did all this happen? You and Nell? Trust me I have been looking to get you hooked up with someone, but you never once said anything to me about being interested in Nell and I didn't catch any vibes that you were interested in her romantically." Sam gives off a small air of hurt as he questions Callen.

"I never intended to do anything about it. I mean really Sam. Look at me. A guy who lies for a living, doesn't have any idea about his family, and lives in a house that is devoid of much of anything at all just to mention a few things. Then there's the not so small age gap; I'm old enough to be her father Sam." Callen's doubts are clearly showing now that he talking to someone and Sam sees him look out the window of the café as if questioning the whole notion.

Giving his partner a friendly smile, he considers his words carefully before speaking. "So, why pursue her G." He locks eyes with his partner as Callen turns to face Sam slightly surprised to hear him agreeing it may not be a good idea. "I mean it sounds like you've already convinced yourself she won't be interested and, even if she is, it would never work. What's the point in pursuing her?"

Callen watches him for a moment before taking a deep breath, "Because every time I'm around her I feel more alive. She has so much energy that I can't help but be pulled in. I have watched her from a distance and I swore I was going to find a way to be content with being friends with her, but then I saw her dancing with that guy." He shakes his head trying to clear the image as he continues, "And then I kissed her. That was it. How the hell can one kiss do that? It's not like I haven't kissed a woman before, but this time was like an electric current. I swear I could feel it for days afterward."

Sam starts laughing before he can stop himself. Callen gives him an incredulous look, "Seriously? I pour my heart out to you which, may I remind you, doesn't happen all that often and that's the response I get." Sam shakes his head and waves his hand in the air as he composes himself enough to speak.

"I'm sorry G. Really I am." Sam gives another second before continuing as he gauges just how frustrated Callen actually is. "Look man. It really is good to see you falling for someone. It's about time. I'm just surprised at just how far under your skin she is already. You guys haven't even been on a date yet have you?"

Callen knows Sam is right and he is all too aware of how far under Nell's spell he has already fallen. He silently questions how he is going to handle his feelings once they are actually together. They are already pretty overwhelming most days. Of course, that all depends on him being right about her wanting to pursue a relationship with him. Callen refocuses his gaze as he realizes he has yet to answer Sam's question.

"No, we haven't been on a date yet. I'm working up to it." Callen leans back in his chair and takes another drink of his beverage as he watches Sam. The larger man is waiting for Callen to continue, but Callen has no intention of risking another declaration like before. Determining he will simply hold out for specific questions, Callen keeps silent.

Sam catches on to the change in pace and puts the question out there he is certain Callen already knew was going to be asked. "Working up to what, G? It's a date. You go up to her and ask her out. It's not like you haven't already done things a bit backwards anyway at this point." Callen gives Sam a confused look prompting the larger man to clarify. "Seriously, you don't usually just walk up to the girl you are interested in and lay one on her. You definitely don't just walk away after kissing her for the first time."

Callen nods his head agreeing with his partner. "Point taken. It just seemed like the thing to do at the time and I was a bit unsure what her reaction was going to be, so I figured leaving was a safer option." He says it like his reaction was the most common and obvious.

Sam lets out an easy laugh at Callen's matter-of-fact statement and raises his hand to the waitress indicating they are ready for the check. The men pay for their drinks and walk outside taking in the calmness of the morning. "Thanks for asking me to meet up with you Sam. This weekend is going to drive me crazy and I have been trying to figure out something to keep me from showing up on her doorstep. This at least killed a little bit of time."

Sam gives him a questioning glance and then steps closer to his partner as he speaks, "Would it be so bad if you just showed up? I mean she seems just as interested as you are from what I can see." Callen contemplates the words of his friend before explaining his intentions. Sam shakes his head and smiles, "A romantic side of G. Callen. That's gotta be a new one."

Callen smiles in response to his partner's approval of his plan and moves towards his car as he makes his way through traffic intent on setting the next set of clues in motion. As he pulls into the parking lot of the first location, he sends Nell a text figuring it is late enough that he won't wake her. _Be sure you don't get so caught up in research that you forget to relax some this weekend!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note – Not mine. Too bad really.**

** I want to apologize for taking so long to post this chapter. It is a little shorter than my usual chapters, but it seemed a good place to stop. I am glad to read that everyone seems to be enjoying the playfulness of this story. It makes my day that I am able to convey a fun side of both characters through this piece. **

** As always, please read and review! All comments are welcome and any suggestions on ideas for the scavenger hunt will be considered! **

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Nell jumps when she hears her cell phone indicate a new text. Her reaction makes her realize just how engrossed in the research she has been. It's like everything around her is non-existent. Laughing at herself, she checks the message. After reading it, she looks at the time and is slightly surprised to see how many hours have passed. It's just before noon and she hasn't moved from the couch all morning.

Picking up her phone, she types a reply and sends the message back to the sender. _Apparently I'm going to be relaxing in the ER! Just jumped out of my skin, thank you very much! _She chuckles at just how well he knows her and wonders how exactly she missed his interest in her this whole time. Nell is a pretty perceptive person, but this has taken her completely by surprise. Not that she is minding the turn of events in the least.

Deciding Callen has a point, Nell decides to get dressed and go get a bite to eat. She ends up at a restaurant about fifteen minutes from her house and settles into the booth for lunch. Pulling out the notepad, she studies the various codes and their nuances. She starts at the top and moves down the list trying them out on the jumble of letters and finds herself no closer to a solution by the time her meal comes to a close. Setting the notepad aside, Nell pays for her bill and goes back to her car.

Unsure of whereabouts she actually wants to go, Nell drives around enjoying the scenery. She comes across a sign for a farmer's market and decides to give it a shot. After finding a parking place, she moves towards the various booths and searches out some ingredients for dinner. As she is considering what exactly she would like, her phone disrupts her thoughts once again.

_Guess that answers whether or not you were taking your research too seriously. Hope the ER isn't too busy today! _Upon reading his reply, she can just envision the smirk on his face. Shaking her head, Nell decides to finish her shopping as she contemplates a reply for later.

As Callen sends the reply to her text, he laughs at the image that pops in his head of Nell. He can see her being so focused on the task that it's like nothing else exists. This version of Nell has been seen in the office on many occasions by him as well as anyone else who has ventured into ops during a particularly difficult case. Having gathered all the necessary items for the next set of clues, he gets back into his car and drives down the road to set everything in motion.

Over the next few hours, they both work to complete the tasks in front of them. Callen is finishing with the placement of the clues in the locations he chose, while Nell is back to working on breaking the code. It takes everything in Nell's power to avoid the computer because she knows she will likely just put the letters into a codebreaker of some sort and call it a day. Then she will be sorely disappointed in herself for giving up too soon.

Looking at his watch, Callen realizes it is getting close to dinner and opts to head back towards his place. He doesn't generally do much cooking, but for whatever reason it seems like a good way to spend the evening and he finds himself looking forward to the idea. Pulling into his driveway, he sits for a moment as he contemplates following Sam's idea of just showing up at Nell's house. He could pick her up and they could enjoy dinner together. He reminds himself of the reason behind the scavenger hunt and manages to fight the urge as he removes himself from his vehicle.

Nell takes a frustrated intake of air as she sets aside the code. She only has four more types of ciphers to work through and none of the previous ones have made any sense at all. Forcing herself to take a break, she walks into her kitchen and pulls out the ingredients she purchased earlier. Setting them on the counter and retrieving a cutting board, Nell starts the task of preparing dinner for herself.

She picks up her phone and decides to finally text Callen back. _I wanted to let you know everything checked out fine. Oh and just so you know...the ER is not a good place to relax!_ She smiles as she sets her phone down hoping Callen falls for her ruse; at least just for a minute.

Hearing his phone sound off, Callen steps away from the stove and checks the content of the text. A frown appears on his face as he considers whether Nell is serious or not about having gone to the ER. Not wanting to risk making light of something like an emergency room visit, he types out a response.

Nell hears her phone and looks down at the screen. She gives herself a mental pat on the back as she reads what Callen said. _Well now I feel bad. Did you really spend the afternoon in the ER?_ She waits a moment before replying as she debates how long to keep the ruse going.

Assuming she will text him back immediately, Callen holds onto his phone as he waits. After a minute turns into two, he is starting to wonder if it's really possible she had to be seen in the ER. As if on cue, his phone disrupts the various scenarios playing out in his head. _Don't you think I would have __requested your presence had I actually been in the ER? After all, you would have been the reason I went! I was just getting you back for scaring the crap out of me earlier._

He shakes his head and is glad to hear she wasn't serious. Knowing she wasn't being mean-spirited, Callen changes gears wanting to catch her off-guard slightly. He only wishes he was with her so he could see Nell's reaction. Laughing as he finishing typing, Callen returns his phone to its spot on the counter as he finishes cooking.

Nell just about drops her phone when she sees his response and mentally takes note that he has finally turned the tables on her. After the number of times she has caught him off-guard lately, she knew it was just a matter of time before he returned the favor. Re-reading the text before she returns to cooking, she shakes her head as the images begin to pop into her head. _Now that I know you are really fine, I'm going to actually get in the shower. It's getting kind of cold standing here in my birthday suit. Hope you have an enjoyable evening and sweet dreams!_

Callen knows from the lack of response that he threw her for a loop. And he is damn proud of himself too. She had gotten the best of him the last couple of times and it's about time the tables were turned. Settling down to eat his meal, Callen turns on one of his many language tapes as he prepares his mind to slow down for the night. While it may seem odd to some, for him there is something very relaxing about brushing up on these foreign words.

Nell finishes her dinner and washes the dishes left from the morning as well as those she used for dinner. The day has been slightly more taxing mentally than she anticipated and decides to take a shower before an early date with her bed. She purposely leaves the notepad on the desk so as to avoid the temptation it brings. It is not in her DNA to leave a puzzle unsolved, but she knows the solution will be there tomorrow and decides to ignore it for the rest of the night.

After towel drying her hair, Nell climbs under her covers with yet another book and settles in to read herself to sleep. Nell has found reading is one of the quickest ways to get her brain to slow down enough for sleep. The lull of her imagination creating new worlds combined with the warmth of her comforter make for the perfect cocktail to end the evening.

Before she gets too drowsy, Nell types out a last minute text to Callen knowing he will still be awake. _Thanks for the images needed for sweet dreams! If you were more prone to sleeping, then maybe I would return the favor. _She smiles to herself knowing he probably isn't expecting another text from her tonight, especially in light of his previous words. The temptation is too great to skip out on such a perfect opportunity though and she decides to send the text.

Callen had just finished with the cleanup of his kitchen when his phone indicated an incoming text. He moves away from the counter and retrieves the device from its resting place. Looking at the screen, he shakes his head at the words. He is now going to have to battle even more fantasies than usual about the young analyst. Well played he thinks to himself as he heads towards his bedroom.

Despite what most of his team think, he does indeed have a bed. It just isn't used very often. The bed is comfortable enough, he is simply used to sleeping very little and he is even more used to using the bedroll he owns. Lying back on the bed, he lets his mind wander to thoughts that he should probably discourage rather than encourage. Soon enough he assures himself. Soon Callen will know what it's like to hold Nell in his bed. He just has to be patient as he builds the foundation for their relationship.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Notes – NCIS: LA are not mine. **

** Working diligently on getting back on track with more frequent updates of my stories. I would like to post a new chapter a week at a minimum, but life does get in the way sometimes. Here is the decryption chapter. For those of you who have played around with the code trying to figure it out, you will find the solution in here. I attempted to explain the cipher as well, but I'm not sure how well I did. **

** Please read and review as always. Thanks to all who have put this story on alert and who are following it. Also, a big thanks to those who have listed it as a favorite. It means so much that you guys are enjoying the story. **

** Be sure to put out any suggestions for possible scavenger hunt ideas!**

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The morning sun shines through her bedroom window easing her body awake. Looking at the clock, Nell is impressed to see it's after nine. She doesn't generally sleep in, but apparently it was much needed. Getting out of bed, she walks haphazardly towards the shower as she adjusts to being awake. She is anxious to get the day going and is looking forward to breaking the code Callen gave her. Luckily, she eliminated the majority of the ciphers she researched yesterday so today's decryption session should go much more quickly.

On a quiet street, Callen has been awake for hours. Not only has he been awake, he has already run an errand or two in order to get himself breakfast as well as gather more ideas for the scavenger hunt. He considered picking up something for Nell and leaving it on her doorstep, but doesn't know if she is a late sleeper or early riser on her days off. Not wanting to wake her if she's slumbering, he opts to pass on the surprise breakfast.

Feeling more excited than he has for some time, Callen fights the urge to make a deal with the devil that would allow the day to speed up. He still has a lot of plans to get organized and doesn't want anything to be out of order, but he is also more than ready to be near Nell again. He has to keep in mind all the plans he has made and wills himself to be patient. Pulling out his laptop, he settles himself on the couch as he researches more ideas.

Nell climbs out of the shower feeling much more awake than when she started her morning. She contemplates her choice of clothing for a brief moment before she settles on a comfortable pair of jeans that she has owned for years and a loose t-shirt that is every bit as old as the garment on her lower half. Pulling on her shoes, she grabs her laptop bag and heads out the door.

Arriving at the drive-thru for a local coffee shop, Nell orders some pastries for herself. She briefly considers getting something for Callen, but isn't entirely sure where things stand between them. She figures it isn't worth the possible embarrassment of showing up unannounced and finding out she was reading the whole situation incorrectly. Nell would bet a lot money on the fact that she is not misinterpreting anything, but she isn't quite ready to take that leap. She will stick with the innuendos at work and the messages through text. At least, for now.

Sure they are flirting. A lot. But that doesn't always translate to anything other than shameless flirting. But then there was that kiss. The one that left her breathless for hours afterward. She gets caught up in the moment and lets her mind wander to the feelings conjured by the much too brief exploration of their lips. Her reverie is broken by the sound of a horn coming from the car behind her. Looking up suddenly, she moves forward in the line as she shakes the thoughts from her head.

Getting through the line and paying for her breakfast, Nell drives towards the library. She figures it's a quiet location and central to just about everything in the area. Hopefully, whatever the cipher reveals will be local and she can move quickly to the next step. Going into the old building, she finds a quiet corner and pulls out her laptop. She sets it on the wooden desk and plugs in the device after retrieving her notes.

Looking momentarily at the list, she decides to reverse the order and start at the bottom. Nell only has four types of ciphers left, but she feels this action may well break the streak of bad luck she has been experiencing. Well aware any good luck she experiences will simply be a coincidence, she still dubs it a good idea and proceeds.

Before getting started, she decides to send a text to Callen. Call it a payback for the resurgence of feelings that have plagued her since his comment last night. She figures if nothing else, it will help solidify her interest in pursuing a relationship with him. Laughing to herself, Nell sets her phone aside as she pulls out a scrap piece of paper to work through the ciphers.

Callen jumps upon hearing his phone alerting him to the incoming text. He briefly curses to himself as he moves across the room to recover the device. He attributes his relaxed state to the young analyst and his on-going pursuit of her. The research on his computer has him pretty engrossed and obviously not expecting any disruptions. He is on his home turf as well, so that leaves him a bit more at ease than most other places. One of the only exceptions is the Mission. The odds of anyone breaching the security of that building is so low that they all can let their guard down when behind its walls.

Swiping his finger across the screen, he silently gives thanks that he had not been drinking any liquid before checking the message. He is pretty sure the phone would have received an unneeded shower had he been. _Between the kiss and the images of you in your "birthday suit," my dreams were spectacular...yours?_

He shakes his head at her boldness and considers how to respond. The flirting has reached a new level and he has himself to thank for the escalation. When he sent the text last night, it was more of a way to test the waters. See just how willing she was to bring things to a potentially more intimate level. He now knows the answer to that question. The new question is can he hold back long enough to complete the scavenger hunt before his feelings overwhelm him. He honestly hadn't anticipated just how strong his feelings would be or how strong the urge to show up on her doorstep would become.

The pace they are moving at is going to be the death of her. She is certain he is interested in her; she's not sure why he doesn't just ask her out. Or hell, simply show up at her house. She certainly wouldn't turn him away if he did. In fact, she would be hard pressed to keep her hands to herself if he were to appear at her front door.

Looking over her notes, she begins working on the next cipher as she waits for a reply from Callen. After a frustrating several tries, she looks at her list and sees two remaining. She pulls out her notes on the next one and sets to work. Suddenly, Nell realizes this may well be the one. Checking her notes, she re-reads what she has written.

She kicks herself when she realizes the simplicity of the cipher. The code is set up using a block formation of the letters of the alphabet with exceptions made for the letter J and sometimes Q. She has learned through her hours of research that it is common practice to eliminate the letter J or combine it with the letter I.

The way Callen chose to encrypt this code uses the alphabet in order distributed throughout the block. Starting with the letter A, Nell put the rest of letters of the alphabet in order skipping the letter J. There are five letters per row giving enough space for each letter. Writing out the code on a piece of paper, Nell places a line separately the letters in pairs of two regardless of whether the second letter is part of the same word. Sic pczu obdfekb ht ho dtqs mpehbu now reads as

Si / c p / cz / u o / bd / fe / kb / ht / ho / dt / qs / mp / eh / bu.

Using her pencil as a guide, Nell takes the first pair of letters and looks for the matches for each of them. She finds the first letter on the block formation and slides her pencil to the left until she comes to the same column the second letter is located in. Repeating the process with the second letter, she moves her pencil until the first letter is in the same column. This gives her the first two letters of the code. S becomes T and I becomes H making the first two letter of decryption TH.

She repeats this process for the entire code until she has all the letters replaced with their counterparts. C becomes E and P becomes N. Once the letters are replaced, she looks at the code once again. Si / c p / cz / u o / bd / fe / kb / ht / ho / dt / qs / mp / eh / bu now reads as

Th / e n / ex /t p / ac / ka / ge / is / in / yo /ur / lo / ck / er.

Finally, she removes the lines and places the correct spacing in between the words to reveal the decrypted code – The next package is in your locker.

Nell smiles widely. She is proud of herself for solving the cipher without the use of any electronic decryption program. Taking a moment to look at the name of the cipher, she laughs out loud when she sees it. The Playfair Cipher. Really. The irony in that is not quantifiable. Thinking through the interactions with Callen as of late, it seems neither is playing fair. Playing fun, yes. Playing fair, not so much.

She looks back at the newly deciphered code and her mind is once again stumped. Looking at again, she is stuck on two words. Her locker. She doesn't have a locker. Does she? Her thoughts are interrupted as her phone vibrates. Looking at the screen, she sees Callen's name and picks it up to read the incoming text.

_Now we just have to wait until we can see how close the fantasies match the reality. It's all about the slow build. A bit of teasing here and a bit of teasing there. The question is how long can you hold out before you require another taste of the reality? _

For the love of all things sacred that did it. She tosses her pencil aside and runs her hands through her hair. There's a prime example of not playing fair in written text. The fantasies are enough to drive her over the edge, she is pretty sure reality would explode her senses. One small taste in the form of a kiss that was completely unexpected made her knees weak for much longer than she cares to admit. Unable to collect her thoughts into anything coherent let alone flirty, she simply replies with two words knowing they will speak loudly enough on their own.

Callen is rummaging through his cupboard for something to snack on when the text from Nell comes through. He moves away from his task and over to his phone. Looking at the screen, he takes a breath before he checks her response. He finds himself a bit nervous as he goes through the possible responses including rejection. Swiping his finger across the screen he sees two words that take away the breath he just inhaled.

_Challenge accepted. _


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note - I do not own NCIS: LA or any of its characters.**

** Chapter ten up and running! I hope you all enjoy!**

** Please, as always, read and review. Thanks to everyone who has this story on alert and favorite. It really does boggle the mind to think that you guys are enjoying reading this story as much as I am enjoying writing it. It's fun to write a more relaxed version of Nell and Callen!**

Well, there it is. Nell Jones is definitely interested in him. No doubt left. He was pretty sure that was the case anyway, but the text she just sent confirmed it without a shadow of a doubt. Question is, why is he so nervous now? Shaking his head to clear the nagging emotion, he sends another text before returning to his task of finding a snack.

Hoping he understands the not-so-subtle meaning behind her text, Nell cleans up her workspace and prepares to leave the library. After ensuring everything is how it was when she arrived, Nell walks out the front doors and finds her car in the parking lot. Placing her bag on the passenger seat, she walks around to the driver's side and get into her car. Just as she is about to put the car in gear, she hears her phone indicate an incoming text. Looking at the screen, she reads the words from Callen and lets out a sigh of relief. _Glad to hear._ At least, she knows they are definitely on the same page.

Nell returns to her apartment and drops her bag by the door. She goes straight for the kitchen and prepares an early lunch in the hopes she can distract herself. The knowledge that G. Callen is interested in her intrigues her greatly. She doesn't really see herself as his 'type.' It never really occurred to her that he would be interested in a woman like her; the geeky, intellectual type.

Nell has always been more involved in academics than guys. It seemed pointless to try to connect with guys in high school because they were so focused on hanging out at sports games and partying. That just wasn't her idea of a good time. The guys that were like her didn't really have any interest in dating, even if any of them had caught her eye.

College was a whole different story. She found herself so immersed in completing her degree that she never really carved out time for a relationship. This flirting back and forth with Callen seems to have come to her completely naturally, which is impressive considering her lack of experience with situations like these. Nell really hopes this natural flow continues because she isn't exactly ready to tell Callen she's never had a relationship before. While she is certain it will come up at some point, she feels no need to draw attention to the fact right away.

Settling down on her couch after having finished her lunch, Nell grabs her book and starts to read. Her mind wanders occasionally to a certain blue-eyed man, but she is determined to just relax for a little bit without any kind of distractions. Feeling a little cold, Nell covers herself with a blanket and snuggles under it as she continues reading.

Callen is at a loss as to how to pass the time. The clues for the scavenger hunt are placed and ready for discovery. He went to the grocery store already. The usual distractions just don't seem to be working and for once he simply isn't interested in practicing any of his many languages. Glancing at his watch, he realizes it's just past noon and he lets out a heavy sigh. There are still several hours left in the day.

Lacking anything better to do, he pulls out his computer to search for this little outdoor market he had heard about from Sam. They sell a lot of organic food, which admittedly isn't really up his alley, but he figures he could always stop and see if anything else catches his eye. It's better than hanging out at home driving himself crazy.

Nell stretches lazily under her blanket and realizes just how close to falling asleep she is getting. Knowing an early afternoon nap really isn't a good idea, she sets her book aside and stands up returning the blanket to its location on the back of her couch.

Looking around her apartment, she comes to the conclusion there is nothing to do and opts to go for a drive. As she gets into her car, she finds her mind wandering to the clue she decrypted. The next package is in her locker. Except she really can't recall ever having a locker. As she drives down the road, Nell comes to the conclusion the only place she would have a locker is work. Trying to think back to when she was hired, Nell vaguely recalls Hetty talking about available lockers off the gym area. For the life of her though, she can't recall if Hetty actually assigned her one.

Coming across what appears to be an outdoor market, Nell shrugs thinking maybe it could be a nice way to waste some time. As she moves through the side street, she notices one thing that catches her eye. A familiar car parked along the same street she is currently driving on; his car to be precise. Smiling widely, Nell pulls into an empty parking spot down the road from Callen's car. Leaving her sunglasses on, she gets out of her car and starts towards the booths. It's a calculated risk considering she is just about to try and spy on the super-spy himself, but she figures it will be a nice way to pass the time if nothing else.

Walking closer to the center of the area, Nell decides it would be better to stick along one of the edges. Her goal is to avoid detection if at all possible and she figures hanging back would avoid setting off Callen's radar. The man seems to have a sixth sense when he is being tailed. Looking out amongst the crowd, she waits patiently until she spots the object of her quest. He is several booths away looking quite intently at a book.

Smiling to herself, Nell decides to remain where she is and watch his interaction with the clerk from a safe distance. He appears to be discussing the book or maybe determining its cost. Man, she really wish Kensi was here right now or that she could at least have Kensi's ability to read lips. Honing in on body language while she lets her mind relax and read the non-verbal cues, she realizes he is trying to get the merchant to lower the cost of the book.

Callen's interest in old books is well known, though his collection pales in comparison to Hetty's. Still, this book is definitely one he wouldn't mind having for his collection. He is also pretty certain that the price is much more negotiable than the merchant is willing to admit. After trying a couple times to get a lower price, Callen banks on the oldest trick in the book. He feigns disinterest and hands the book back walking away from the booth.

The plan is simple; come back to the booth towards the end of the day and get it then. He highly doubts anyone else will be interested and he figures the merchant will be more willing to take a lower amount at the end of the day rather than hoping he can sell it another day. Walking towards his car, he gets in and drives out of the parking area. He is thinking about the book and fails to see the familiar car parked just down the street.

Having watched Callen walk towards his car, Nell comes out of hiding and approaches the merchant. She asks about the book Callen was just looking at and smiles as the merchant hands it to her. Nell looks at the title and is certain she would have no interest, but she knows Callen does so that seals the deal for her. She manages to talk the man down in price a bit before removing the money from her purse and exchanging it for the book.

Feeling very proud of herself, Nell makes her way to her own car while watching intently just in case Callen is still around. Reaching the parking lot, she sees his car gone from its previous location and gives herself a mental pat on the back for having gone unnoticed. Heading to a local gift shop, Nell purchases some brown paper for wrapping books and a few pieces of twine to secure the wrapping paper.

Pulling into the driveway of his house, Callen figures he has just enough time to eat something before returning for the book. Looking at his watch, he notices that his timetable isn't exactly typical considering he is just getting around to eating lunch and it is after two o'clock. Knowing the work week keeps his schedule so jumbled that he eats whenever he has a couple minutes, he shrugs at what he sees as just another normalcy in his world.

After fixing himself something to eat, he heads back out to the market in order to purchase the book. He is prepared to pay whatever price the merchant asks at this point, but hopes it is at least lower than when he was there earlier. Pulling into an empty space on along the street, he takes note that there are considerably fewer cars than before. Approaching the man, he inquires about the book and is disappointed to hear that it was purchased not long after he left.

Kicking himself for losing his chance to buy the book and knowing it was just so he could save a few dollars, Callen walks away frustrated. Walking in no direction in particular, he finds himself standing in front of a small pond surrounded by beautiful landscaping. As he looks around, Callen makes a mental note of the location for future reference.

Settling down in a bench surrounded by flowers, Callen leans back enjoying the mild heat of the day. After sitting like this for a few minutes, he takes a few cleansing breaths and then moves to stand up. Smiling slightly to himself, he pulls out his phone to take a few pictures. Satisfied with the final shot, Callen sends the picture to Nell. He is pretty sure she will find it just as amazing as he does.

Nell has been in her apartment for quite sometime and is busy cleaning her bathroom when she hears her cell. Finishing up what has to be the worst job on the planet, she removes her gloves and deposits them in the trashcan she passes as she goes to get her phone. Swiping it to reveal the incoming message, she smiles at the picture and its description. _Found a little slice of heaven right here in LA. Found myself wishing you were here with me and thought this was the closest I was going to get to that wish...for now._

Looking at the picture, Nell and agrees with his wish that she was there with him. Especially in light of the fact that she is stuck in her apartment cleaning at the present time. The view is amazing and she can almost imagine herself walking along the pond with him.

Thinking about her words before she replies, Nell is still unsure why he doesn't just ask her out. It's quite obvious, she won't say no. Figuring there is no need to start censoring her thoughts at this point, she types out a reply. After hitting send and returning her phone to its location on the counter, she turns to get dinner prepared.

Callen hears the reply come through just as he is walking away from the pond. _Anytime you want to take me, I'm game. Looks like another instance where reality is likely much better than fantasy. _Drawing a deep breath, Callen pushes away the now familiar urge to just show up on her doorstep. He is determined to make their first date one to remember and he just needs a little more time to get everything in place.

Knowing he needs to say something in response, Callen contemplates the reply as he drives home. Once he reaches his house, he moves into the living room and sits on the couch after grabbing his laptop. Looking over the list of things he needs to accomplish, he pulls out his phone. Satisfied with what he wrote, Callen hits send and then settles back onto his couch. He plays on the fact that Nell does not like to lose at a challenge and is beginning to seriously wonder if he will be able to pull off what he is hoping to accomplish. The longer this goes on, the harder it is getting.

Having cleared the items off the the small table just off her kitchen, Nell makes her way into the kitchen to clean up after her meal. She starts the water for dishes and moves to get started as her phone emits a familiar tone. Slightly anxious to see his response, Nell immediately dries her hands before retrieving the device and seeing what Callen has to say.

_I didn't think Nell Jones gave up that easily on a challenge! _Rolling her eyes at his words, not having missed the fact that he didn't even come close to answering what she really wanted to know, she replies quickly and straight to the point. Hitting send, Nell holds onto her phone as she waits for what she expects to be a quick reply.

Hearing the phone, he picks it up and laughs when he reads the text Nell sent. _Don't flatter yourself, Callen. I'm in no way giving up on any challenge. I just want you to know I am definitely interested in exploring...whatever you want to explore!_

It's things like that which get Callen the most. The whole innocent facade gets cracked just a little more every time she throws out little innuendos like that one. Of course, it also causes Callen's mind to spin into overdrive as he realizes she is completely on board with the idea of a relationship with him. The idea of exploring things with her causes a plethora of reactions and emotions; both physically and psychologically. In an attempt to keep his mind out of places that he shouldn't be going right now, he tells himself that she is only referring to the emotional part of their impending relationship; not the inevitable physical part. And for about a second, he actually believes what he keeps repeating in his head.

He sends one final reply before moving to the bathroom and getting in the shower. Hopefully, that will squelch any thoughts of the exploration of one Nell Jones.

_ One step at a time...trust me when I say it will all be worth it in the end. _


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Notes – Not mine.**

** So, I officially suck at updates. I would love to blame lots of factors, but it really just comes down to me needing to set aside time for writing regardless of what craziness is happening in my world! I will try that theory. **

** Hopefully, I still have an audience. Please, as always, read and review. I am planning one more set of clues...possibly two, then the big reveal on what Callen has been planning. I am still writing as I go, but am going to attempt to get a chapter ahead through the course of this week. **

** Hope you enjoy!**

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Arriving even earlier than usual the next morning, Nell lays the wrapped book on Callen's desk. Knowing it will still be a bit before the team makes their way to the bullpen area, she moves quietly up the stairs to the ops center intent on locating the paperwork Hetty gave her on her first day. The locker containing the next set of clues has to be here, but she has no idea which one or what the combination would be.

Settling into her chair, Nell begins looking through the files in the bottom drawer of her desk. Pulling out the one the contains her original paperwork, she sifts through it in search of the answer. Reaching the bottom of the stack, Nell groans as she realizes the information is not on anything given to her that first day. Putting the papers back in the file, she reaches her hand down to make sure everything is straight and feels her fingers glide across an index card that must have slipped from between everything.

Pulling out the card, Nell's face lights up as she realizes what it is. She does indeed have a locker at the Mission. The card contains the locker number and combination. Her only remaining sense of confusion is how the hell Callen knew about it. It's never even been used. Shrugging off her curiosity, she makes her way down to the locker room.

Once she reaches her destination, Nell uses the combination on the index card and opens the door. Inside she sees a small keychain in the shape of an airplane along with a small card. _I think we will call this section Fun with Lockers!_

Laughing as she reads the title, Nell looks at the key in her hand and makes note of the locker number indicated it. Unfortunately for Nell, the key doesn't give any clues as to which airport she should be looking for to locate the correct locker. She pulls out her phone and brings up a list of possibilities. Seeing several options, she pulls up the notepad on the screen and makes note of the first several.

After a few minutes of copying down the information, Nell realizes the time and moves quickly out of the locker room. As she is walking towards the stairwell leading to the ops center, she hears the unmistakeable laugh of one G. Callen as he banters with his partner on the way into the building. Quickening her pace in order to make it up the steps before he comes into the bullpen area, Nell stands just outside his field of vision.

The two men walk towards their respective desks laughing as they approach. Placing his bag on the floor by his desk, Sam drops his body into the chair. "I'm telling ya G. Super agent or not, when your wife tells you to take out the garbage before you leave there won't be an argument outta you either."

Callen shakes his head and places his body into his chair as well. "Whatever you say, man. Whatever you say." He laughs at the larger man as he recalls the interaction from this morning when he picked Sam up for work.

Looking at his desk for the first time since arriving, Callen notices the package sitting squarely in the middle. Intrigued, he looks over at Sam as he picks it up. "You know anything about this?"

Sam shrugs his shoulders and goes back to his paperwork. "Probably your secret admirer." He stops his shuffling for a minute to lock eyes with Callen before he speaks again. "Wonder who that could be?"

Callen laughs at his partner's comment knowing full well the identity of his secret admirer is not a secret to Sam at all. Carefully opening the string and unwrapping the package, Callen is shocked when he sees the contents. Opening the front cover, Callen sees a slip of paper drop on his desk. Picking it up to read it, he recognizes the handwriting immediately.

His gaze immediately goes up the stairs towards the ops center as he tries to determine how Nell knew he was looking at that exact book. He knows she wasn't at the market. Or at least he didn't see her at the market. What the hell. Did she really pull off tailing him and he somehow missed it?

Pulling out his phone, he types out a quick text to Nell. _How did you know?_ After hitting send, Callen goes in search of a pastry to eat. The thought that she was watching him and he wasn't even aware is beyond words. He goes through everything from his time at the market and doesn't even recall a moment when he felt like he was being watched.

Nell comes around the corner and sees Callen completely lost in his thoughts. She decides to take this moment to come up beside and answer his question. Realizing Callen isn't even aware of her presence, she leans in close to his body and stands on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. "_Guess you __aren't the only one able to go unnoticed when necessary!"_

Seeing Callen jump, Nell laughs as she steps back slightly. He turns to face her and their bodies are closer than either can recall them being in far too long. Looking up into his eyes, she momentarily loses herself to his gaze. Callen takes full advantage of her distraction and leans in close to her face. For a moment, he pauses directly in front of her lips before moving to position himself right by her ear. Callen returns the favor and whispers in her ear, _"Did you enjoy the view at the market?"_

Before she can answer, Callen walks past her grazing his fingertips across her arm as he goes. She fights to maintain her composure as she turns to watch him leave. Holy crap! Is he able to make any sentence sound seductive? The feel of his breath sent shivers all throughout her body and left her unable to speak. Just one sentence. Nell was going to have to get a grip if she was going to survive this little dance of theirs.

Collecting herself for a moment, Nell decides to have a cup of tea before returning to the ops center. When Nell gets back to her station, she realizes Eric has already finished over half of their morning routine. Feeling like she is slacking off, Nell lets him know she will cover the rest of the work. He nods and moves to catch up on some overdue maintenance on one of the systems.

The rest of the day goes by quickly and everyone is happy to leave when the clock lands on the five o'clock hour. Kensi and Deeks head to the local burger joint to get a bite for dinner, while Sam goes home to enjoy some family time. Callen grabs his book and heads out the door. He is banking on the scavenger hunt finding its conclusion by the end of the week and needs to confirm details for the next step.

Nell and Eric stay for a short time after the team leaves wanting to get some of their morning routine done the night before. This will allow them the rare opportunity to come in when the others normally arrive. As Eric moves to leave, he bids Nell good night and wishes her luck with her latest set of clues. Thanking him for his help earlier in the day with researching airports, Nell sets out to check out what she hopes is the correct location.

Pulling into the parking area of the Long Beach Airport, Nell gets out and moves towards the entrance. Walking in through the doors, she moves quickly through the airport and locates a set of lockers. Luckily, the key has a number on it and she is able to narrow it down quickly. Once she finds the correct locker, she opens up the door and finds another key attached to keychain; this one shaped like a bus. Shaking her head and laughing, Nell is secretly thankful for the ease at which Callen made this portion of the hunt. Firing off a quick text, she finds a seat and uses her phone to find the locations of the bus stations in the city.

Callen is going through the motions of fixing some food for himself when his phone indicates an incoming text. Setting aside his task, he retrieves his phone and looks at the screen. Seeing Nell's name appear, he smiles and swipes his finger across the screen to read what she said. _Locker one complete!_ Callen smiles at her speed and is secretly happy he chose to make the next set of clues easy. Just a little legwork along with a slow work week and the hunt could be complete by the end of the week.

After about half an hour of researching and calling, Nell narrows down the locker location to the Vermont Green Line Station. It really wasn't as hard as she made it; especially if she had considered the color of the key. She was definitely falling victim to the over-thinking it theory. Arriving at the next location, Nell makes her way through the bus station and finds the lockers.

Reaching the correct locker number, she inserts the key and opens the door. Just as expected, there is another key with a keychain. This keychain is in the shape of a bathing suit and she laughs at the sheer ridiculousness of it. Nell is pretty certain she has never seen a bathing suit quite that ugly before and is sure Callen purposely chose the most unappealing one he could locate. Sending yet another text, she is unable to resist the urge to comment on the keychain. _I'm slightly afraid to ask where you found this keychain and I really hope this bathing suit doesn't actually exist!_

Callen is cleaning up his kitchen when her second text comes through and laughs out loud at the words. It had taken him several hours to find a keychain that was sure to make Nell shake her head when she saw it. He was happy the time he spent was worth it. _What? You telling me that's not something you would choose to wear?_

Nell's internet surfing to research the next location is interrupted by Callen's text and she gives a smirk when she reads what he says. Deciding to have a little fun with him, she pulls up a few pictures from a day at the beach with friends a few weeks ago and takes a breath as she hits send. No one at work has ever seen Nell in something as revealing as the bikini she wore that day. Honestly, she only wore it because her friends bet her she wouldn't have the nerve. Of course, not one to back down from a challenge, Nell purchased one of the most revealing ones she could make herself wear. It wasn't that she was ashamed of her figure, she just doesn't like putting everything on display and that bathing suit definitely put all her assets out there for everyone to see.

Callen's phone lights up just as he is getting ready to take a shower and he stops short of walking into the bathroom in order to check the message. Looking at his screen, he sees a picture pop up and is momentarily confused. He pulls up the text and his jaw drops when he realizes it's Nell. _This __is more my speed. Just to clear up any confusion. _

For the love of all things sacred. That certainly pays him back for this morning when he brushed his hand along her arm at work. Never in a million years would he have thought that Nell would wear something that covered so little of her body. And showed that much skin. It took everything in his power to send a response that didn't include something along the lines of screw the scavenger hunt or here's my address and feel free to wear that bikini when you come over. Shaking his head, Callen sends a more appropriate response. Considering his current state, he figures that says a lot about his willpower.

As Nell pulls into the parking lot of Laces Aquatic Center, she hears the familiar tone indicating a text message. Opening it up, she laughs at his response. Or rather his lack of response. _Uhm...Wow! _

She views his one word response as a good thing and decides to push him a little for a more descriptive response. _Better than the keychain? _

She laughs as she hits send. Moving into the Aquatic Center, she steps up to the front desk and inquires as to where the lockers are located. After being pointed in the right direction, Nell quickly makes her way to correct one. Opening it up, she sees a keychain in the shape of a violin. Her face lights up as she realizes exactly where the final locker is located.

Callen barely has time to recover from the picture when he get the next one. Is she kidding? Hell, yes that bikini is better than the keychain. Deciding to forego the shower, Callen moves quickly to his car. He has officially lost the ability to stay away from her until the scavenger hunt is completed.

Nell moves to her car quickly and drives towards the next destination. Realizing she hasn't eaten since lunch, she opts to drive-thru and get a sandwich to eat on the way. As she pulls into the parking area for The Music Center, Nell checks the clock on her dash. She is happy to see it isn't too late to check out the locker at this location.

Nell, being very familiar with this venue, moves quickly in the direction of the lockers. The location is rather remote and would have been difficult for one to find if they hadn't already been a frequent visitor. Walking over to locker number fifteen, Nell pushed the key in place before turning it and disengaging the lock mechanism. She removes an envelope and places it in her bag.

Callen takes this moment to come up behind her and wrap his arms firmly around her waist. Feeling her immediately tense and knowing she does have a level of training, he quickly speaks. "Sending that picture was not even remotely fair."

Realizing it's Callen wrapped tightly around her body, Nell immediately relaxes. Feeling his breath along her ear as he talks in a low voice, she fights her own body's reaction to the sensation. Nell turns in his arms as soon as he is finished with his words. She finds herself now firmly pressed against his body and looking up at his face. In an instant, she takes a risk and re-enacts that moment in the bar as she initiates a breath-taking kiss with one G. Callen.

Caught completely off-guard, Callen finds himself standing alone and watching her walk away before his brain can relay a reaction to his body. By the time he regains his senses, Nell is nowhere to be found. Standing there dumbfounded, he can officially say he knows what she was feeling that night in the bar.

Not knowing what else to do, Callen pulls out his phone and sends her a text. _That eliminated what little will I had left to see the scavenger hunt to the end. Dinner tomorrow night._ Hitting send, he takes several deep breaths to get himself under control before exiting the building and getting into his car. Before he can put the car into gear, Callen receives a text from Nell.

_In the words of man I know. One step at a time...trust me when I say it will all be worth it in the end. I look forward to seeing the scavenger hunt to its completion. _

Shaking his head, he comes to the conclusion that Nell Jones is going to be the death of him yet.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note – **OK...so, I wanted to put a little blip out there to let you know I have not disappeared. I will be updating by April 11th or 12th. I don't generally bring my personal life into my writing; however, my children are currently on Spring Break (since the 29th) which makes writing a bit more difficult. I have six kids ranging from 11-17 and things get a little hectic around here. I am enjoying some time to hang out and play video games with them as well as attempt to spend time with my girlfriend (in between her crazy work schedule).

I look forward to returning to writing as soon as they get back into school. For now, it's been a nice break to just hang out and not feel I need to worry about posting a chapter a week...or two. Thanks for all your follows, favorites, and alerts! It really does make one feel good to receive the encouragement. If any of you have a suggestion for the scavenger hunt for Drug of Choice, feel free to let me know. I am still working on the next set of clues and can always use ideas. If nothing else, my girlfriend will appreciate me not asking her every other day!

Thanks!


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Notes – Officially not mine. No way, no how...unfortunately!**

** Here we go again! Sorry for the long delay. This little thing called life happened and, well...you know how it is! I am very happy to be back on track with writing and am looking forward to where the muse leads me. I hope I still have readers out there! I am also working on the next chapter for my other story (What Now?) and hope to have it finished by Friday. **

** As always, comments and feedback are greatly appreciated! I am open to any ideas you guys may have for the scavenger hunt as it really is turning into a write as I go story. Feel free to PM me or leave your ideas in the comments. Thanks to everyone who is following this story and I hope it is worth the wait.**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX**

Arriving back at her apartment, Nell is still trying to recover from the events that happened at The Music Center. It took everything in her psyche to walk away from Callen in that locker room; the feel of his arms around her waist and how her heart practically jumped out of her chest as she moved to face him. The kiss was amazing and the willpower Nell used as she disappeared into the crowd was pulled from who knows where.

Her mind, and body, keep going back to how quickly she reacted to his presence_. _Nell knows they are going to eventually end up on a date and thinking through the possible outcomes boggles her mind. Hell, her body was on fire after that first kiss and the feeling lasted clear through to the next morning. It literally took days afterward for her to train her body not to re-ignite the flame every time she replayed that moment in the bar.

Now, she has a second kiss to dwell upon and it really makes her wonder how in the world she is going to be able to remain breathing when things move along in their relationship. She's not exactly the most experienced person in the world and, generally speaking, romantic situations are not her strong suit. Nell can count on one hand the number of relationships she has had and her experience in the bedroom is even more limited. It just wasn't on her priority list to cultivate a relationship; until now.

A relationship, one with none other than G. Callen, is pretty much on the forefront now. It seems like the only thing that she can think about, especially if she lets her mind wander at all. She is a bit worried however because Callen is much more experienced than she is. Nell is pretty sure she is simply being overly sensitive about the whole notion, but she does worry what will happen when he realizes the depth of her lack of knowledge. Of course, he is the first person she has really openly flirted with to this degree and, if she were to be honest with herself. Nell realizes her reactions have been completely unplanned. It's like her brain already knows what to do. Here's to hoping the rest of her reacts the same way when the time comes.

She pulls herself together and forces her thoughts to move to the envelope she retrieved from the locker at The Music Center. Getting it out of her bag, Nell carefully opens the envelope to reveal a single slip of paper.

Chaplin, Garbo, Cooper, Hayworth, Marx, and Stewart

Faulkner, Elliot, Fitzgerald, Parker, Steinbeck, and Vonnegut

All the greats, and those unknown, have found their way here.

They enjoyed the ambiance, company, and privacy.

Dined and wined; found inspiration and solace.

Deals were made and signatures obtained.

Question is, where is here?

Where indeed? She has no idea where to even start at this point. Thinking back to their earlier conversation about the scavenger hunt, Nell realizes this isn't what will lead her on the next hunt. At least, not yet. This is part of the four extra clues that will lead her to the final destination. Of course, the two items make absolutely no sense right now. She has this little poem of sorts and an apricot. Shaking her head, Nell sets the paper aside and prepares for her evening routine.

As she settles into her bed after a relaxing shower, Nell sends a text to Callen. _Dabbling in poetry, are we?_ Feeling a premonition of sorts, Nell determines sleep should be a priority tonight. It's just too difficult with all the thoughts swimming through her head right now. They have had a pretty uneventful week or so at work with minor cases that pretty much solve themselves; which can only mean one hell of a case is on the horizon. The dry spell is bound to break this week, it's just a matter of when. Once that happens, all thoughts of the scavenger hunt and Callen will be shoved aside for late-nights on the trail of the next terrorist.

Just as she begins to drift, the familiar ding of her cell phone alerts her to the incoming text. _Not sure that's what one would call poetry. At least not good poetry! Sweet dreams, Nell Jones. Sleep well. _She swears she falls asleep smiling.

Callen settles back onto his bedroll and contemplates the events of late. He is seriously intrigued by Nell and definitely hasn't felt this way in a long time. It's almost like he is on auto-pilot. Everything that has happened between them has been so spur of the moment and unplanned, he almost doesn't recognize himself. He has no idea for sure when she became such an integral part of his being. Hell, he even finds himself wondering if maybe some furniture would be a good idea. It's not like you can have a real relationship in a house that isn't even furnished. Where would they get together? He's is pretty sure Nell won't want to always meet at her place or out in public.

The idea of this relationship has had a calming effect on him that he never expected. Before this, all his relationships were built on bullshit and lies; smokes and mirrors if you will. Even his previous marriage was built on such a flimsy foundation, there was no way it would actually work. The closest he got to a real relationship was with Kristin, but she didn't even know his real name. Nell has the advantage of knowing just about as much about him as Callen does. He is excited to embark on a new chapter in his life. Feeling himself drifting into sleep, he allows for what he hopes will be a rare night of rest.

Nell is awoke at 3:53 in the morning by the shrill sound of her phone. Jumping up in bed and grabbing the offending device, she swipes her finger across the screen in the hopes of shutting it up. While still pretty much asleep, she groggily answers with what is supposed to be hello. It comes out more as a cross between a groan and some other language. "Ms. Jones, you are needed in ops immediately. We have encountered a crisis of sorts." The phone disconnects before Nell has time to contemplate the fact that Hetty was the voice on the other end.

Once her brain catches up to reality, she is out of bed in a flash and out the door. If the call had been from Eric, then she would have taken the time to change her clothes and make herself at least a tad presentable. However, the voice was Hetty's and that doesn't allow for any delays. Nell learned early on to never wear something to bed that could not be seen by her co-workers. Unfortunately, the last phone call she received that required immediate response was when Hetty activated her agent-in-distress signal and that was quite some time ago. Her choice of attire for bed last night certainly wasn't anything scandalous, but it definitely showed more skin than she typically revealed at work.

She walks into the ops center to find Eric already frantically typing away at the console. Nell laughs at the site of him with his hair flying in all directions and his pajamas pants with the shark print. Looking down at his feet, she sees a matching pair of slippers which have apparently become the footwear for the day. He shoots her a glare and turns back to his console. "Go ahead Nell, keep laughing. Just wait til you see what is happening. That will definitely fix the laughter."

Just as she is about to inquire as what the crisis is when Hetty appears from who knows where. Nell is pretty certain the door did not open and silently questions whether there is indeed a secret passage she is unaware of hidden in the ops center. Settling back into the seat in front of her console, Nell waits for Hetty to speak.

"Ms. Jones, we have a breach in security. It seems someone is accessing our files that hold the identities of three undercover operatives currently deeply entrenched in the Russian mafia. They infiltrated the organization two and a half years ago and have been successfully in place since. The intel they have gathered has proven to be invaluable. Obviously, I don't have to explain what will happen if they have been burned."

Nell immediately begins sifting through the information on hand as she listens to Hetty continue. "Mr. Beale is addressing the breach. I need you to find out how much information was compromised and locate our missing operatives. Time is of the essence, Ms. Jones." Nodding to her operations manager, Nell brings up multiple documents at once starting with when the operatives last made contact. Knowing she will need to compile the information for a briefing, she starts organizing everything that will be needed.

Her concentration is disrupted when she hears Eric swear from across the room. "DAMNIT! Nell, I need you over here. I can't stop this guy! He is accessing the files again. As soon as I reinforce one wall, another falls." Eric is typing as fast as he can trying to stop the flow of information leaving their mainframe. "SONOFABITCH!"

Nell takes her place next to Eric and between their combined efforts, they manage to erect enough firewalls to ensure the perpetrator will have to work much harder to attempt another breach. Unfortunately, they find that multiple points of entry where information may well have been pulled. Nell calls Hetty into the ops center to give her an update. It's nothing conclusive, but clearly leaves the lives of the three agents in a precarious balancing game that no one wants to be a part of. After speaking to Nell, Hetty tells Eric to call in the team.

The team arrives in short order and make their way to the ops center. Eric and Nell are still completely focused on their fact-finding making them scarcely aware of the new bodies that have filtered into the room. They seem completely oblivious to the chaos surrounding them in the heart of the Office of Special Projects and only react to the outside world when Hetty speaks. "Mr. Beale and Ms. Jones, please get the team up to speed while I make the final arrangements from my office. You have five minutes."

Callen and the rest of the team stand in front of the technical operator and intelligence analyst with their attention completely focused. Nell and Eric inform them of the breach and give them what information they have on the agents in question. The briefing lasts just under four minutes and is an unfortunate testament to the sheer lack of substance they have to offer. Hetty makes her way back into the ops center with folder for each member of the field team. It seems they are going on a road trip to locate and extract the missing agents. With any luck, it won't be too late. As they board the airplane, Callen shakes his head at the turn of events. It appears the scavenger hunt will be put on hold; at least for now.

**Author's Note (Take 2) – **

**Just wanted to let you guys know one key thing. This story is not going to be case-heavy, at all. I just figured a little bit of reality for their jobs should probably be thrown in the mix. I have no plans of expanding on any cases that may or may not come to pass through the creation of this story. It seems you guys are enjoying the interactions between Callen and Nell specifically and I have to say I am enjoying a more light-hearted story as well. Fear not, the teasing/flirting will return in the next chapter!**


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